1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to baby bottles. In particular, it relates to nursing bottles with soft, pliable container walls.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Many infant nursing bottle inventions are known in the art. Developments in the art have focused on the areas of disposable bottles, bottles with disposable liners and bottle constructions that are both light weight and unbreakable. Other inventions have focused on methods for mechanically supporting a nursing bottle such that a baby can nurse without requiring additional support of the bottle.
The Trindle et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,506 discloses a disposable infant nurser. The infant nurser in one embodiment contains a supply of dry formula. The Emerson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,026 discloses a nurser having a rigid container with a disposable inner liner. The Lux et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,365 discloses a rigid foam plastic container having at least one impermeable surface for preventing bacterial contamination. Lux et al. provides a bottle that has a combination of rigidity and light weight, and which can be sterilized.
The Keenan U.S. Pat. No. 1,232,690 discloses a bracket for supporting a nursing bottle from a stationary surface such as a chair, table, or crib. The bottle is supported horizontally by a curved metal plate that forms a U-shaped saddle that curves upwardly. The plate is pivotally attached at the base of the curved plate to a vertical support member. The curved metal plate extends approximately half way around the circumference of the cylindrical portion of the baby bottle. A helical spring is connected to each end of the curved metal plate and surrounds the upper portion of the bottle, securing the baby bottle into place. The height of the baby bottle may be adjusted by adjusting the length of the vertical support member. The vertical member is attached to a stationary object such as a chair by a clamping device such as a C-clamp. The entire nursing bottle bracket is rigid.
The Baumann U.S. Pat. No. 1,753,875 discloses a nursing bottle holder that can be mounted to a stationary object such as the side rail of a bed, crib or carriage. Baumann discloses two devices for fixing the bottle holder to a stationary support. The invention also includes a bottle clamp which pivots along the central cylinder axis of the bottle.
The Mariner U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,431 discloses a bottle holder adapted to be secured to the arms of an infant seat comprising a rigid wire having a substantially U-shaped configuration. Each end has a clamp for pivotally attaching the end to an armrest of an infant car seat. The wire has an integrally formed expandable loop located on the central portion of the wire. The expandable loop wraps around a rigid bottle. The bottle holder secures the baby bottle in a position that makes it possible for an infant to nurse without further support of the bottle. The support is adjustable by the infant such that the bottle can be pushed away.
All of the prior art bottle supports are rigid and could potentially cause injury to an infant who drinks from a bottle supported by the devices in a moving vehicle or falls in the direction of the bottle. Although the Mariner U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,431 discloses a holder that can be moved away, the bottle holder is of a rigid construction and could potentially harm an infant.
All of the baby bottle structures disclosed are of rigid construction and pose a hazard when used without assistance or with the bottle holders described above. It would be desirable to have a soft, flexible baby bottle, and a soft, pliable support bracket for feeding a baby in a stationary chair or in a car seat or the like. A soft bottle construction is more easily gripped and is less likely to cause a child injury than a rigid bottle construction.